The Representation of Turkish Immigrants in the German Printed Media

In the popular debates about migration and integration of immigrants in Germany, the Turks are often at the centre as the largest minority group in Germany. So, this study aims to reveal that the German perception towards Turkey s EU membership is in a great sense influenced by the relative share of the representation of the Turkish population in the German printed media. To illustrate this, the significance of the media has been explained to realize how effective they are for the public opinion. The representation of Turkish immigrants has been revealed through secondary literature and it has been focused on some title themes of the weekly magazine "Der Spiegel" to show how the otherness of Turkish immigrants is constructed. The German public opinion about Turkey s accession was analyzed and the significance of the public opinion has been explained with the reason of a possible referendum during the time when Turkey has fulfilled all conditions for the membership. Finally, the linkage between the representation of Turkish immigrants in the German printed media and the opposition of the German public in respect to Turkey s accession into the EU has been clarified.

Autorentext

Nuran Uysal got her BA degree in American Culture and Literature and lectured English at Foreign Languages Department. As DAAD scholar she completed her MA Degree in bilingual International European Studies at University of Hamburg and Akdeniz University and became an EU expert interested in Turkish immigrants and integration in the EU.